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GOP has 4-way battle in District 6

In this file photo, a voter heads to the polls.

ANDREW WARDLOW | News Herald file photo

By JOHN HENDERSON / The News Herald

Published: Saturday, August 16, 2014 at 09:00 PM.

PANAMA CITY
— In many ways, the Republican candidates running for the House District 6 seat have similar conservative philosophies, calling for less government and a business-friendly Legislature in
Tallahassee
.

But the four candidates vying for the seat have diverse backgrounds, and believe their individual life experiences make them best suited for the seat, which is open because state Rep. Jimmy Patronis cannot run again due to term limits.

Tho Bishop, Melissa Hagan, Thelma Rohan and Jay Trumbull are competing in the Republican primary that is scheduled for Aug. 26. Early voting is now underway and runs through Saturday.

The winner will be the party’s representative in the general election Nov. 4, facing Democrat Jamie Shepard and Green Party candidate Henry Newman Lawrence, who are unopposed for their respective party nominations.

Bishop

Tho Bishop, 24, previously has served as a deputy communications director for the House Financial Services Committee in
Washington
,
D.C.

PANAMA CITY — In many ways, the Republican candidates running for the House District 6 seat have similar conservative philosophies, calling for less government and a business-friendly Legislature in Tallahassee.

But the four candidates vying for the seat have diverse backgrounds, and believe their individual life experiences make them best suited for the seat, which is open because state Rep. Jimmy Patronis cannot run again due to term limits.

Tho Bishop, Melissa Hagan, Thelma Rohan and Jay Trumbull are competing in the Republican primary that is scheduled for Aug. 26. Early voting is now underway and runs through Saturday.

The winner will be the party’s representative in the general election Nov. 4, facing Democrat Jamie Shepard and Green Party candidate Henry Newman Lawrence, who are unopposed for their respective party nominations.

Bishop

Tho Bishop, 24, previously has served as a deputy communications director for the House Financial Services Committee in Washington, D.C.

“I’m the only candidate who has consistently advocated for individual liberty, capitalism and restoring the Constitution,” he said. “The government we have today spends too much, taxes too much and regulates too much; it’s the case whether we are talking about Washington or Tallahassee. While it is easy, as some have, to simply blame ‘Barack Obama and liberals in Washington,’ the reality is that both parties are to blame.”

The Republican Party, for example, talks about capitalism and limited government, he said.

“Meanwhile, the Republican leaders in Tallahassee have given us the biggest budgets in the history of the state of Florida, have built up an invasive and flawed prescription drug database and advocated crony legislation such as requiring local small breweries to pay off big beer companies for the right to do business,” he said. “None of this is conservative. It’s time for it stop. I believe that we need less government and more individual choice throughout our lives.”

Hagan

Hagan, 45, the former chief development officer at Gulf Coast State College, has small-business experience running a company with her husband, Aaron. They own Emerald Coast Interview Consulting and Staffing Solutions, which primarily transitions military pilots to commercial flight opportunities.

Hagan’s husband served in the Air Force at Tyndall Air Force Base.

“I think it is the experience I bring to the table as an educator and small business owner and community leader, and military spouse experience as well, that makes me the best candidate for the position,” she said.

Creating jobs in BayCounty and across Florida would be her top priority, she said.

“I want to do everything I can to make Florida a great place to do business, with a positive tax and regulatory environment that encourages businesses to come to the state.”

She said a solid education and economic development go hand in hand.

“I want to fight for a solid 21st Century education system that makes students competitive for the global economy,” she said.

Rohan

Rohan, 68, along with her husband owns a local medical practice. She served previously on the Bay County School Board for eight years.

“Businesses are affected by the overreach and rule making of the government both at the state and federal levels,” she said. “I want to go to Tallahassee to represent the business owner that deserves to profit from his labor rather than be overburdened by agencies and poorly written laws.”

She said as a medical professional, she will ensure the expansion of Medicaid is not allowed in Florida.

“This $51 billion dollar bribe by the federal government will end in a state responsibility to cover all patients after the three-year period is over,” she said. “This will be an amount of money that cannot even be projected today. The federal government has a long history of breaking promises that involve large sums of money. Why should Florida trust them with our health care?”

She said she will do all she can to stop Common Core, a federal education initiative being adopted by some states. “This top-down education delivery is designed and developed by the federal government for the entire nation,” she said. “There is no room for our local educators and policy makers to be involved. Can we trust the federal government?”

Trumbull

Trumbull, 25, has been working in his family’s Culligan water business since he was 14. He’s done everything from drilling wells to driving a bottled water delivery truck to serving on the management team.

That experience of operating a small family business gives him perspective that would help in a legislative seat, he said.

“I feel that small business experience is probably my best asset,” he said. “I think we need to have a pulse on what BayCounty goes through. I believe that if we can get government out of our lives by reducing regulations, and making government smaller, that BayCounty can truly prosper.”

His website states his top goal is the economy, saying that decreasing government red tape, keeping “more money in the hands of our small businessmen and women” and improving quality and accessibility to education will create jobs.

He noted he wants to diversify the local economy, rather than relying on tourism and real estate, which to some degree is dependent on wealth generated in other states.

“We need to become a wealth-generating state by increasing manufacturing and by attracting corporate relocations,” he said.

Relevant experience: Environmental care, worked as a HAZWOPER Technician for Gulf Asphalt during the BP oil spill. (June 2010-August 2010); Managed small business, Rocky Shore Coffee Company from December 2010 to February 2011; Deputy communications director of House Financial Services Committee (February 2011 to September 2013.

Platform: 1. Economic opportunity — Professional licensing reform, especially for skills obtained through military service. Reforming the regulatory system so legislators vote on any significant regulation before it becomes law. 2. Individual liberty — Eliminating abused government tools, such as red-light cameras. Reforming laws for non-violent crime. 3. Using Tallahassee against Washington — advocating for the 2nd Amendment Preservation Act, preventing FWC from enforcing unscientific, dangerous NOAA fishery regulation and a convention of states to repeal the 16th Amendment.

What do you see as the biggest issue in your race? Which candidate is best prepared to stand up for the Constitution in the age of an out-of-control federal government, as well as take on party leadership and special interests in Tallahassee. People are tired of the political status quo; both parties have let us down.

What do you see as the greatest challenge you would face if elected/re-elected, and how would you deal with it? Being able to change the conversation in Tallahassee as a freshman legislator. The key is following the model of leaders like Sen. Ted Cruz and Congressman Justin Amash — being an effective, passionate and principled communicator on the issues. In today’s world, statesmen must be willing to engage the grassroots, as well being able to build coalitions with advocacy organizations, such as the Florida Citizens Alliance.

Why do you deserve to be elected/re-elected? No candidate in this race is more prepared to be a principled and effective legislator. Throughout the course of this campaign, no candidate has offered more viable solutions to the biggest problems facing the state of Florida, be it alternatives to Common Core, how to best attack Washington’s nine-day red snapper season or give specific proposals for legislative goals such as regulatory reform.

Campaign website: www.ThoBishop.com

Name: Melissa Hagan

Current occupation: Business owner/consultant

Relevant experience: I have experience in the worlds of both business and education. I served as the chief development officer at GCSC, where I developed partnerships to equip the ATC. I am a former classroom teacher and advocate for career and technical education and was instrumental in helping start career academies in our local schools. I am a small business owner and have helped thousands of military pilots transition from the military to the commercial aviation industry.

Platform: My platform is based on three E’s: Economic development, education and environment. I want to create a business climate that helps businesses expand and attracts new industry to our area. I want to build an education system that focuses on STEM and career and technical education and prepares students for jobs and builds a skilled workforce. I want to find a balance between growth and protecting the natural beauty of BayCounty for future generations.

What do you see as the biggest issue in your race? The biggest issues facing BayCounty are the lack of solid jobs and a very cyclic economic cycle. Our jobs here have revolved around tourism, housing and military spending — all which are subject to fluctuations. We need to build a base of solid manufacturing, technology and consulting jobs to dampen the highs and lows of the economic cycle and increase opportunities for all of Northwest Florida.

What do you see as the greatest challenge you would face if elected/re-elected, and how would you deal with it? The greatest challenges I see are federal mandates that impact our state budget in Florida. We need our state government to act as a firebreak from policies coming out of Washington. Ensuring Floridians’ rights are protected means you need strong voices at the state level pushing back against mandates from Washington and protecting our personal freedoms. I have a long record of supporting conservative values and will be that strong voice in Tallahassee.

Why do you deserve to be elected/re-elected? I have experience in business, education and as a working mother who raised her family in BayCounty. I built a business from the ground up and helped thousands get jobs in the private sector and understand the challenges facing small business. I know how to create jobs and the impact a strong education system and skilled workforce will have on our economy. I’m ready to advocate for ALL of the citizens of District 6.

Campaign website: www.haganforflhouse.com

Name: Thelma Rohan

Current occupation: Office manager medical office

Relevant experience: Bay County School Board for eight years, two terms; Republican Executive Committee member, precinct leader, vice chairman, chairman, state committeewoman; president of the Bays Medical Society Auxiliary, mother of five; grandmother of six; wife of 43 years; FSU Foundation board member; board member of the American Red Cross.

Platform: My platform is based on education, the economy and the environment, and how these all three have to be intertwined, with one being no more important than the other, and with success in one area leading to success in all three areas. I want to redo the curriculum issues of the state, eliminating the government-designed curriculum that leads to controlling students’ thought, known as Common Core. I want to stop the expansion of Medicaid. …

What do you see as the biggest issue in your race? The expansion of Medicaid, also known as Obamacare, in the state of Florida will lead to the dilution of health care for senior citizens in BayCounty, and as a 35-year medical professional, I’m the best suited candidate to address this issue and ensure that Obamacare is stopped at the state level.

What do you see as the greatest challenge you would face if elected/re-elected, and how would you deal with it? I think my biggest challenge will be the number of issues that have to be addressed by each legislator and how I will deal with it. I will use my knowledge and study diligently and depend on the support of a well-selected staff who is familiar with the process.

Why do you deserve to be elected/re-elected? I deserve to be elected because I am the most experienced candidate. ... My lifelong experiences have led me to increase my education. One area of expertise has been a master’s degree in public policy from FloridaStateUniversity, and a bachelor’s of nursing degree from BarryCollege in Miami. Politics is of the heart as well as of the mind. Many people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Campaign website: www.ThelmaRohan.com

Name: Jay Trumbull

Current occupation: Co-owner, Culligan Water

Relevant experience: Small businessman; active in the community,

Platform: I want to bring prosperity to BayCounty by diversifying our economy. We need to build on our assets like tourism, real estate and military installations by creating an environment that attracts corporate relocations and high-tech manufacturers. By creating a regulatory one-stop shop, we can make it easier to start a business and then by cutting taxes and reducing litigation, we can make it easier for people to stay in business.

What do you see as the biggest issue in your race? The economy. How can we make Florida and BayCounty recession-proof in the future? We must diversify our economy. Our tourism and real estate industries are in many ways dependent upon the wealth generated in other states and other countries. We need to become a wealth-generating state by increasing manufacturing and by attracting corporate relocations.

What do you see as the greatest challenge you would face if elected/re-elected, and how would you deal with it? The same.

Why do you deserve to be elected/re-elected? No one deserves to be elected, but the people of District 6 deserve leadership that cares. I’m from BayCounty. I run a small business in BayCounty, and I care. When I stand before my legislative desk to make a vote on a bill, I’ll know exactly what effect it is going to have on the folks back home.

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